Many of today's ground engaging equipment i.e., backhoes, power shovels, and related devices includes a bucket having a transversely extending leading edge. During operation, poor ground and soil conditions are frequently encountered making digging very difficult. Often, the ground to be worked is rocky, frozen or simply very well packed and dense, such as compacted adobe, decomposed granite roads, and etc.
To facilitate ground penetration, a series of laterally spaced digging tooth assemblies extend forward from the leading edge of the bucket. Some digging tooth assemblies embody a two-piece design including an adapter connected to and extending forward from the leading edge of the bucket and a replaceable digging tooth mounted on and carried by the adapter. Some digging tooth designs have a transversely extending cutting edge extending across a forward edge of the tooth. Since a number of the cutting edges on the teeth contact the ground at the same time, penetration into hard ground conditions can be difficult and very limited.
A wide variety of digging tooth designs have been proposed to overcome the problem of penetrating hard ground conditions. Some such digging tooth designs include a single forwardly extending tine for facilitating a ground fracturing effect. While often effective, a single tine offers a relatively narrow penetration zone. A single tine digging tooth also tends to wear rapidly and requires frequent replacement.
Digging teeth having dual tines are also known in the art. As compared to a digging tooth having a transversely extending cutting edge extending across an entirety of a forward end of the tooth, a digging tooth having two elongated tines at a forward end thereof can and frequently does offer reduced resistance in penetrating the ground. Wear of the tines on the tooth, however, remains a problem. Moreover, and unless the points or tines on the digging tooth are adequately spaced apart from each other, the space therebetween can and frequently does entrap rocks therebetween whereby furthermore reducing the efficiency of the digging tooth. Also, and depending upon their placement along the front edge of the bucket, the two tines on the digging tooth can have different wear patterns associated with each tine which can result in an increase in the amount of “throw away” of a worn tooth.
Thus, there is a need and continuing desire for a digging tooth offering enhanced penetration with reduced “throw away”.